As I made my way toward the Liberty Bell at Independence Mall Wednesday afternoon, the scene felt both familiar and long overdue—people filling the streets, marching in solidarity for immigrant rights.
Over the past four years, I’ve often wondered: Where is everyone? Why haven’t more voices risen to defend and support the immigrant community? The truth is sobering—the Biden administration has overseen the highest rate of deportations, and asylum seekers face excruciatingly long waits just to secure an appointment to present their case at the border. Many are left to endure months in dangerous conditions while they wait. Let me be clear: our border is not open.
It’s been heartbreaking to hear anti-immigrant rhetoric during this election cycle, not just from Republicans—whose lies and hate-filled vitriol are predictable—but also from some Democrats. Instead of challenging these falsehoods, many Democratic politicians shifted to the right, echoing those same harmful lies.
And now, here we are. Bracing for impact as many of our friends and neighbors are living in fear. Wondering what will happen to their families.
Standing on the ground where the Liberty Bell resides, I can’t help but reflect on how most of our nation’s ancestors were immigrants. What do we truly stand for as a country?
The goal of the rally was to call on the Biden Administration to take steps now while he is still in office to protect the immigrant community. It was good to see local democratic leaders speaking out in support. District Attorney Larry Krasner emphasized that he would not hesitate to pursue criminal charges against ICE officers if they broke the law during official actions.
Hearing Rep. Chris Rabb speak, I’m reminded of the qualities we hope to see in our leaders. This wasn’t his district—there were no votes to win, no donations to collect. He was simply standing up for what is right—a principle we should expect from all our leaders.
As an attendee, I want to share what I witnessed. What began as a rally turned into a march toward the 6th Street onramp to the bridge. Protesters hung banners from the Ben Franklin Bridge, while officers formed a line to block additional protesters from accessing the bridge. They closed one lane of local traffic as a line of resistance. The sheer number of officers and agencies present for a peaceful protest was staggering—seemingly a one-to-one ratio with protesters.
PHOTO ESSAY: The March to Defend Immigrants’ Lives in Philadelphia
While half the group of officers blocked pedestrian access to the bridge, the other half stood across the street. Alarmingly, there was no police presence to divert the traffic around the protesters. I saw drivers deliberately speed up, attempting to plow through the crowd. Thankfully, the protesters managed to jump out of the way. Some drivers screamed hateful remarks like, “I hate you all; I hope you die!” Others threw objects from their cars at the protesters. Despite this, the police detained none of those individuals.
When officers decided to shut down the protest, they began arresting those who sat in the street in peaceful defiance. One protester, who needed medical attention, was being assisted by the Executive Director of Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition. Incredibly, while trying to help, the director was arrested.
Rep. Chris Rabb intervened, advocating on her behalf with no success. He asked the police to show the same discretion they had given to the drivers who endangered protesters and those who threw objects from their vehicles. Why was a woman helping someone in distress treated so harshly?
Meanwhile, a group of officers stood nearby, debating which departments would take credit for the arrests. The disproportionate police presence, the arbitrary decisions about who was arrested, and the focus on claiming credit for arrests revealed troubling issues within law enforcement culture.
So, what can we do now, in this moment?
As the clock is ticking away toward the inauguration, there are things we can do to protect our neighbors. The current democratic administration has the opportunity to use their power to protect immigrants before inauguration day that include:
1. End ICE contracts, close detention centers & release people in detention.
2. Use presidential pardon to protect all undocumented people.
3. cancel pending deportation cases.
4. Stop expansion of ICE detention.
5. Lift executive order that closes border and guts asylum.
Please take action now by visiting: ICE Resistance – Protecting Our Communities By Fighting Back AGAINST ICE
